Miss Halls School - Hallmark Yearbook (Pittsfield, MA)

Page 43 text:

TREED I was nof fhinking of fhe rendez-vous as I drove along fhe moon-Iif road fhaf nighf. I was fhinking abouf Mexie and Doc Andrews. On fhaf nighf was fo be fhe firsf coon hunf of fhe season. and also fhe firsf fime fhaf Doc would be seeing Mexie in acfion. Whefher or nof we freed any coons really made no difference fo me as long as Doc could see my Iif+Ie hound frailing a scenf fhrough fhe woods. He would like Mexie-perhaps even praise her. Any good hunfer could see fhaf she was deserving of praise. and Doc was a good hunfer. A+ leasf fhaf was whaf my nexf-door neigh- bor had said. All fhe olcler men were glad fhaf Doc had chosen our fown as fhe place for his refiremenf, and even affer only eighf monfhs he had impressed all of us, old and young alike. wifh his knowledge of fhe woods. of guns, and of dogs. Thaf was why I was so anxious fo show him Mexie. My dad had offen said fhaf Mexie was fhe besf Iiffle blue-fick hound fhaf ever lived. I had iusf been sfarfing firsf grade when Dad broughf her home and sfarfed fraining her. She had learned quick- ly. bringing in af Ieasf one coon from every hunf when Dad Ief her run. Affer Dad died. I ran her whenever I was home. buf we always missed fhe coon season while I was away af school. Now, for fhe firsf 'rime in four years, we would be ouf wifh ofher hunfers and ofher dogs, fhe way a hound like Mex oughf fo be. I furned off fhe road info a small clearing. sfopped fhe car. and Ief Mexie ouf. She circled fhe car fwice, nose 'ro fhe ground, and fhen came back fo me where I was removing my shofgun from ifs case. Her ears were perked and her fail excifedly fhumped againsf my levis while she waifed for me fo lock fhe car. Whining, run- ning off impafienfly, fhen refurning fo me, she frolicked in fhe underbrush like a puppy playing wifh a foad. Come on, Old Lady. I said. laughing af her, no'r yet She froffed over fo me, pressed her cold. wef nose againsf my hand. and fhen ran ahead, looking back once in a while for some sign from me. The nighf was clear. cool. and brighf, a Iiffle foo brighf for a perfecf hunf, buf fypical of mid-aufumn nighfs. Already fhe greaf orange moon had risen above fhe free-'Iops and paled. The ferns and pine needles on fhe ground, shining like new copper pennies, muffled 'rhe sound of my foofsfeps. A few leaves sfill clung 'ro black branches, and clusfers of dried oaks raffled in an occasional genfle breeze. Mexie was sniffing af fhe ground: I sniffed af fhe air. There was a fragrance of pine, a smell of a disfanf campfire, and a scenf of approaching winfer. The 'rip of my nose felf sfrangely cold in fhe frosfy air. I rubbed if. leaving a sfreak of gun grease from my glove across my cheek. A quick mofion wifh fhe shoulder of my wool shirf wiped fhe grease off. My affenfion furned fo Mexie. who by now was al' Ieasf fiffy yards ahead of me, sfill sniffing. I whisfled. She furned. head raised. and froffed foward me wifh her funny, ear-flapping gaif. I never ceased fo be amused by fhe way her hind legs fried fo cafch up wifh her fronf legs. as if she were a creafure in an Egypfian painfing. She sfopped a few feef ahead of me. sfrefched sfiffly. and fhen proceeded fo follow me. From farfher up fhe pafh I could hear fhe low sound of men's voices. Soon I could see fhe fainf Iighf from fhe campfire in The clearing fhaf was fo be our meef- ing place. Mexie barked and began running fhrough 'rhe frees foward 'rhe Iighf. I began walking fasfer. Wifhin a few minufes I enfered fhe smoky, fire-Iif clearing and saw fhaf Mex had already been welcomed by fhe ofher dogs in fhe camp and was fhe obiecf of a conversafion befween several men. I was fhe youngesf person fhere: nearly all fhe ofhers were middle-aged men, and a few were guife elderly. My nexf- door neighbor was fhere, as well as fhe 'rown judge, a few neighboring farmers, sev- eral local businessmen and some ofher men fhaf I knew by sighf. Doc Andrews was sfooping over, a gun in one hand. rubbing Mexie's ears wifh fhe ofher. His whife hair shone in fhe flickering firelighl. Hey. Kid. he asked, +his your dog? Page 37

Page 42 text:

CHRISTMAS SORTILEGE I WALK DOWN AN EMERALD AVENUE WHERE SEOUINS SPARKLE OVERHEAD AND SHREDDED SILVER LACE SIFTS FROM A SOFT BLACK VELVET SKY. I SEE MY OWN REFLECTION AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF PEARLS AND DIAMONDS LOUNGING LAZILY I ON FOLDS OF SATIN. MINK AND SILKY SABLE. GLEAMING GOLD, AND CORAL CASHMERE AND LAPIS LAZULI. I JOIN THE SHUFFLING RUSH OF HURRYING SHOPPERS -- ARMS HUGGING HEAVY LOADS WRAPPED CYLINDERS AND CUBES OF PYRAMIDS. TIRED STRANGERS TIP THEIR HATS AND SMILE AND GREET EACH OTHER AND HOLD DOORS AND DROP COINS FOR STREET-CORNER SANTAS. A CRIPPLE LIMPS BY SINGING HOLY NIGHT - HOLY NIGHT - I SEE A GREY DONKEY AND A KNEELING SHEPHERD A CRADLE BED OF HAY AND A YOUNG CHILD SLEEPING - ABOVE HIS HEAD A GOLDEN MIST AND A SWEET MADONNA FACE FRAMED IN SOFT FOLDS OF BLUE, AND THEN AN ANGEL WITH WHITE WINGS. AND FAR ABOVE THE MANGER'S HUSH THE BIGGEST AND THE BRIGHTEST STAR THAT EVER ON THE WORLD HAS SHONE. SUSAN WHITTLESEY, I956

Page 44 text:

I nodded proudly, swallowed hard, and Tried To speak. ' ' ' She's a Tine looking dog. Doc conTinued. I beT she was a good hunTer when she was young. My words came ouT quickly. BuT she. isn'T old. Doc. You iusf waiT Till she geTs onTo a scent . - - w i ' . Doc was noT IisTening To me. He was'IisTening To The plans being made Tor The game dinner The following evening. The crowd of men was beginning To break up, The dogs sTarTed To bark, and Doc Turned back To me. I I ' . Why don'T you head easT and I'Il head.norTh. We can meeT aT The edge of The meadow and work our way back up Through The ravine. ThaT is, if you don'T- have a parTner already. I - - I grinned. nodded. whis+Ied Tor Mex. and sTarTed off. Very soon we had IefT The sounds of The camp behind us. Suddenly Mexie sTopped. circled a Tallen Tree, and began running, nose To The ground. She was onTo a scenT! Her deep-ThroaTed baying rev,erberaTed over The whole mounTainside. IT was a pleasant musical sound. Like a bugle. Dad had always said. I.isTening To ThaT mellow sound drifTing Through The nighf was The besT parT of The hunT. I ThoughT. My TooT caughT in a rooT and I sTumbled. Picking myself up, I cursed The rooT sofTly. cradled my gun in my arm, and sTarTed running aTTer Mex. I knew ThaT once she had The coon Treed. I would have no Trouble. Only an old dog or a very poorly Trained one ever IeTs a coon drop from a Tree. Mex had never IosT a coon. and she would cerTainIy never IeT one drop. I found Mex circling The base of a scrubby pine Tree. barking up inTo The branches. I flashed my lighT around. No coon. Moving To The oTher side. I flashed my lighT again. STiII no coon. Mex became quiet She lowered her head andsbegan To Tremble. There was no coon. IT musT have dropped. I rubbed The sTock of my gun unconsciously. Then began To unload iT. I puT.The shells in my pocket - Come on. Old Lady. I said quieTIy. We're going home. A sound in The underbrush made me Turn around. Doc Andrews was sTanding There. .T You're noT leaving The hunT. are you? he asked. Yes. My breaTh caughT as I answered. lT's geTTing IaTe. Deborah Washburn. I955 - 'Wea rafts will 'I e M , X21 Cn, , gt I GQ.. Kiwi fe? Jessi. Q Ae , I QQW L4i'l'.J l II . li... -- , xfv'f 1 . 'wwf 1 'X fra ? I fu- e a ' cyl V Q.,f ' iiii QQ. 'e??:'7QE' L G., h.ii'Il!e?uD fM4 Hi K il H Whse? I 'ill' ii ' .- QW Q'4?aSsf I Q I Q s geiffv -. ' Tl I Tie' Page 38